Ashton Kutcher resigns from anti-child sex abuse organisation after backlash over Danny Masterson letter
Ashton Kutcher has resigned as chairman of the board of Thorn, the anti-child sex abuse organisation he co-founded in 2009.
His wife Mila Kunis, who served as an observer on Thorn’s board, is also stepping down, Time magazine report.
It comes following widespread condemnation of their letters of support to their That 70s Show co-star, Danny Masterson, who was recently convicted of raping two women.
In a letter to the organisation, Kutcher said the letters that he and his wife wrote were an “error in judgement”.
“Victims of sexual abuse have been historically silenced and the character statement I submitted is yet another painful instance of questioning victims who are brave enough to share their experiences,” he said.
“After my wife and I spent several days of listening, personal reflection, learning, and conversations with survivors and the employees and leadership at Thorn, I have determined the responsible thing for me to do is resign as chairman of the board, effectively immediately.”
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Hollywood couple apologise for defending rapist
The stars were hit with a backlash after the letters, which asked the judge for leniency when sentencing Masterson, were made public.
In his letter, Kutcher had described Masterson as a “dedicated and loyal” husband and father.
In her letter, Kunis wrote: “Throughout our time together, Danny has proven to be an amazing friend, confidant, and, above all, an outstanding older brother figure to me.”
The pair later said “sorry” in a video, saying they didn’t mean to “undermine the testimony of the victims” and apologised if they had “retraumatised them in any way”.
Kutcher and Kunis met Masterson on That 70s Show.
Masterson was found guilty of raping two women and sentenced to 30 years to life behind bars.
Dozens of supporters were outside court as the man accused of fatally shooting the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare made his first appearance.
Luigi Mangione has pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of murder following the 4 December killing of Brian Thompson, 50, outside a midtown Manhattan hotel.
The 26-year-old is accused of ambushing and shooting the executive as he walked to an investor conference.
Luigi Mangione supporters stand outside the Supreme Court. Pic: AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah
Dozens of people who showed up in court to support the suspect including former army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning who was jailed for stealing classified diplomatic cables.
Dozens more queued in the hallway.
Mangione is also facing federal charges that could carry the possibility of the death penalty.
The judge set a deadline of 9 April to submit pre-trial motions.
Luigi Mangione is accused of fatally shooting Brian Thompson. Pic: Steven Hirsch/New York Post via AP
In addition to the New York cases, Mr Mangione also faces charges of forgery, carrying firearms without a licence, and other counts in Pennsylvania, where authorities arrested him at a McDonald’s.
Police say he was in possession of a gun, bullets, multiple fake IDs and a handwritten document that expressed “ill will” towards corporate America.
He is being held in a Brooklyn jail alongside several other high-profile defendants, including music mogul and rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs, and disgraced crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried.
The killing prompted some to voice their resentment at US health insurers, with Mangione attracting a cult following.
A poll taken in the wake of the shooting showed most Americans believe health insurance profits and coverage denials were partly to blame for the incident.
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